Arizona State Road Trip aka: What to do in Tempe?

Anyone going? My crew is getting our shit together right now. Making excuses to the wives to head out Thursday... booking our pool house... getting tickets ordered.

Is there any place I definitely need to hit up? Bars/restaurants... whatnot. I'm assuming Ghost can give me an idea of must see places in the area.

Hookers, blow
What else do you need to know? Drive a jeep slowly up a small hill, take pictures

I.B. Fine wrote:Hookers, blow
What else do you need to know? Drive a jeep slowly up a small hill, take pictures

OK, so pretty much what I was expecting. Good to know.

I.B. Fine wrote:Hookers, blow
What else do you need to know? Drive a jeep slowly up a small hill, take pictures

hookers, blow
what else ya need to know?
drive a jeep up a hill real slow
take a lot of pictures, yo.

sincerely,

I.B. Fine-izzle

I'm a poet and I don't know it.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:Anyone going? My crew is getting our shit together right now. Making excuses to the wives to head out Thursday... booking our pool house... getting tickets ordered.

Is there any place I definitely need to hit up? Bars/restaurants... whatnot. I'm assuming Ghost can give me an idea of must see places in the area.

Tempe? You mean the home of Arizona State? With 30,000 coeds? Good lord man you are a hopeless case.

LooseGoose wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:Anyone going? My crew is getting our shit together right now. Making excuses to the wives to head out Thursday... booking our pool house... getting tickets ordered.

Is there any place I definitely need to hit up? Bars/restaurants... whatnot. I'm assuming Ghost can give me an idea of must see places in the area.

Tempe? You mean the home of Arizona State? With 30,000 coeds? Good lord man you are a hopeless case.

Well... yeah. I'm trying to figure out where is the best place to creep on them.

I.B. Fine wrote:I'm a poet and I don't know it.

you rhyme all the time.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

I.B. Fine wrote:I'm a poet and I don't know it.

you rhyme all the time.

You're cruising for a bruising.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:Anyone going? My crew is getting our shit together right now. Making excuses to the wives to head out Thursday... booking our pool house... getting tickets ordered.

Is there any place I definitely need to hit up? Bars/restaurants... whatnot. I'm assuming Ghost can give me an idea of must see places in the area.

Everyone here agrees you should’ve gotten your shit together a long time ago.

tGreenWay wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:Anyone going? My crew is getting our shit together right now. Making excuses to the wives to head out Thursday... booking our pool house... getting tickets ordered.

Is there any place I definitely need to hit up? Bars/restaurants... whatnot. I'm assuming Ghost can give me an idea of must see places in the area.

Everyone here agrees you should’ve gotten your shit together a long time ago.

Well I was going to invite everyone here to the after game party at our place. Looks like it's gonna be one person less now.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote: you rhyme all the time.

You're cruising for a bruising.

I'm itchin' for a switchin'.

(my Mom actually used to tell me that. And sometimes actually took me up on it with a switch from a tree in the backyard) -

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:

Everyone here agrees you should’ve gotten your shit together a long time ago.

Well I was going to invite everyone here to the after game party at our place. Looks like it's gonna be one person less now.

Oh, boo hoo.
I’ll be too busy playing hide the kielbasa with a hotel room full of hot ASU coeds to hang out at your Vienna sausage fest.

I will likely be going also. My inlaws have a condo in Scottsdale I can use.

Old Town Scottsdale has a lot of trendy douchetastic type of places but I'm sure there's decent spots. I've driven around Tempe but never hit any bars or anything. I'm sure gHost can offer lots of info.

LooseGoose wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:Anyone going? My crew is getting our shit together right now. Making excuses to the wives to head out Thursday... booking our pool house... getting tickets ordered.

Is there any place I definitely need to hit up? Bars/restaurants... whatnot. I'm assuming Ghost can give me an idea of must see places in the area.

Tempe? You mean the home of Arizona State? With 30,000 coeds? Good lord man you are a hopeless case.

doesn't seem like my scene.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

LooseGoose wrote:

Tempe? You mean the home of Arizona State? With 30,000 coeds? Good lord man you are a hopeless case.

doesn't seem like my scene.

You're invited to our post game party Bob.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote: doesn't seem like my scene.

You're invited to our post game party Bob.

I'll be sure to pack a body condom.

Been over 30 years since last there but Sedona was cool. Recall some great restaurants but none by name anymore.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote: doesn't seem like my scene.

You're invited to our post game party Bob.

Don’t go, Bob. It’s going to be a Vienna sausage fest. Oh, and my room will be a rockin’, so don’t come a knockin’.

The Pantry wrote:Been over 30 years since last there but Sedona was cool. Recall some great restaurants but none by name anymore.

Mrs. GW went to a spa in Sedona a couple of years ago, and now she’s in love with the area. I’d love to visit, but don’t want to stay too long in the event the coming water wars break out.

gHost Spartan wrote:

The Pantry wrote:Been over 30 years since last there but Sedona was cool. Recall some great restaurants but none by name anymore.

It's funny you say that Pantry because Sedona, Grand Canyon area specifically, have absolutely terrible food... in fact, the food there is so bad that we typically eat at Wildflower Bread Company for breakfast and lunch (its like Panera Bread) and just eat in one of the downtown restaurants but don't get anything too expensive because we know the food sucks.

Elote Cafe is supposed to be great Mexican food but you have to wait for hours to get a table. The nicer hotels on Oak Creek have pretty good food but nothing to rave about.

We hit a great Mexican place. Is Elote over 30 years old?

tGreenWay wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

You're invited to our post game party Bob.

Don’t go, Bob. It’s going to be a Vienna sausage fest. Oh, and my room will be a rockin’, so don’t come a knockin’.

I'll stay back in East Lansing... keep the home fires burning.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:

Don’t go, Bob. It’s going to be a Vienna sausage fest. Oh, and my room will be a rockin’, so don’t come a knockin’.

I'll stay back in East Lansing... keep the home fires burning.

Damn, I was about to propose a Swill road trip.

I'd pick you up on the morning after Labor day.
Pies, bowls and buds in hand.
We could drive for 4 days, 500 miles a day
And follow much of Route 66.
Arrive Friday night and spend 48 hours drinking Tequila
And chasing Chica Bonitas.
3 Hours out of our schedule for the football game.
Sleep off the Tequilas and forget the Chicas
And off we got for 4 days to return home.
A road trip for the ages.

tGreenWay wrote:

The Pantry wrote:Been over 30 years since last there but Sedona was cool. Recall some great restaurants but none by name anymore.

Mrs. GW went to a spa in Sedona a couple of years ago, and now she’s in love with the area. I’d love to visit, but don’t want to stay too long in the event the coming water wars break out.

Wyff and I went to Phoenix to visit friends in Tempe and Scottsdale. Stayed at a then new hotel (again, forget the name) situated in a rocky hillside. Got massages at the spa. Very memorable trip that started on a somber and eerie note.

Remember exactly where I was when learning of Northwest Flight 255 crashing on takeoff from Detroit to Phoenix. Our flight was scheduled for the Sunday evening exactly one week later. Crash was terrible by itself but learned one of my profs from State was on it. Jim Burnett. Taught my first CPS class, Fortran. Super nice guy. Remember getting on the flight a week later feeling very strange. Think Northwest had re-numbered it 256.

Phoenix is shitty hot late August. Rental car came with one of those stupid covers you put in the windshield when parked. Still laugh when I see one in Michigan but out there, they make sense.

Probably told this story before. Took my clubs out there. Went to a place out of town called Superstition Springs. Pretty much nothing there then except the golf course. Nice course. Got my first introduction to grass bunkers...they suck. Started wondering how the hell they got all the water to irrigate the place in the middle of nowhere. Was playing like shit but didn't give up and went to back nine in the sweltering heat. Pulled up on a tee on the outskirts of the course with kitten riding shotgun. Noticed 4-5 dudes out in the scrub beyond the course boundary. They were all carrying shotguns. Not sure what they were hunting but noticed one of them point in our direction after I got out of the cart. BANG! Saw dust bunnies coming right at us. Fortunately the tee box was a little elevated. Hit the bottom of the cart and I caught a couple in the shins. No damage because of the distance. Started yelling at them but then decided it was probably better to get back in the cart and get the fuck outta there. Filed a complaint back at the clubhouse.

Went to visit our friends in Tempe. Lived in a plain but nice sub. They had a son about a year and a half old at the time. When outside leaving their house the husband pointed out the first black widow I'd ever seen without a piece of glass between me and them. Not sure how people are able to raise kids out there without constant fear. Hooked up with them for a day trip to Sedona the next day. Nice time.

gHost Spartan wrote:

The Pantry wrote:We hit a great Mexican place. Is Elote over 30 years old?

You probably hit the Mexican place in the little arts and crafts village near Oak Creek and Shnebley Hill Road

Not sure where it was but do remember it being artsy-fartsy,

gHost Spartan wrote:

LooseGoose wrote:

Damn, I was about to propose a Swill road trip.

I'd pick you up on the morning after Labor day.
Pies, bowls and buds in hand.
We could drive for 4 days, 500 miles a day
And follow much of Route 66.
Arrive Friday night and spend 48 hours drinking Tequila
And chasing Chica Bonitas.
3 Hours out of our schedule for the football game.
Sleep off the Tequilas and forget the Chicas
And off we got for 4 days to return home.
A road trip for the ages.

I'm actually in - as crazy as it sounds.

Damn gHost, - You, Bob and I along with a bagObuds, some creamy cold raw milk and a blueberry pie......

LooseGoose wrote:

gHost Spartan wrote: I'm actually in - as crazy as it sounds.

Damn gHost, - You, Bob and I along with a bagObuds, some creamy cold raw milk and a blueberry pie......

I feel like there’s a Hunter Thompson book here.

gHost Spartan wrote:Honestly it depends on what you enjoy doing and how long you plan on being in town.

Are you into outdoors stuff?

Do you want to just party?

How long are you planning on staying?

I can give you a list of shit that'll keep you busy but I need to know what you enjoy doing -

Flying in Thursday around noon. Leaving Sunday.

I want to go out hiking for a bit on Friday, but it's a group thing and a couple of guys are fat slobs so that's probably out. We'll probably just end up drinking all day and do some touristy shit in the city. Not too sure. One guy that is going with us lived out there for a while so he might already have some things planned. I dunno.

LooseGoose wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote:I'll stay back in East Lansing... keep the home fires burning.

Damn, I was about to propose a Swill road trip.

I'd pick you up on the morning after Labor day.
Pies, bowls and buds in hand.
We could drive for 4 days, 500 miles a day
And follow much of Route 66.
Arrive Friday night and spend 48 hours drinking Tequila
And chasing Chica Bonitas.
3 Hours out of our schedule for the football game.
Sleep off the Tequilas and forget the Chicas
And off we got for 4 days to return home.
A road trip for the ages.

gHost Spartan wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Flying in Thursday around noon. Leaving Sunday.

I want to go out hiking for a bit on Friday, but it's a group thing and a couple of guys are fat slobs so that's probably out. We'll probably just end up drinking all day and do some touristy shit in the city. Not too sure. One guy that is going with us lived out there for a while so he might already have some things planned. I dunno.

Where are you staying?

Well, if you want to do some hiking then you could do Piestewa Peak or Camelback Mountain. Be advised that Camelback gets very very very crowded at the Echo Canyon (most popular) trailhead, so parking is a challenge.

Piestewa Peak is much easier to park at.

There's also some good hikes in Scottsdale but I'd need to know what kind of shape you're in before suggesting any. Some of them can be quite difficult and may be challenging for someone unaccustomed to the desert.

As far as things to do, I'd probably suggest hanging around at the pool depending on where you're staying, maybe catch a Dbacks game, go out in Old Town depending on how old you are and the type of crowd you want to be around.

There's obviously a lot of bars in Tempe as well.

I used to live in Central Phoenix so a lot of my hangouts are there and I'm sort of unfamiliar with the Scottsdale scene. Tempe is a fun place and attracts a lot of different crowds for football games. Expect there to be a lot of people at the MSU game. The fans will harass the shit out of you as well. When Illinois played at ASU about five years ago I went with my wife (she went to Illinois) and we were Illini gear and were harassed big time by the students. I think that's the game I ran into that one MSU hoops player that transferred to ASU then someplace else... can't remember his name now.

Anyway, let me know more specifics and I can give you some tips.

Good stuff. Thanks. Not sure where we're staying yet. The one guy that lived in Tempe is seeing if we can crash at a friend's house who will be out of town that week. Not sure where that house is. We're also looking at a bunch of Airbnb places near campus.

gHost Spartan wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Good stuff. Thanks. Not sure where we're staying yet. The one guy that lived in Tempe is seeing if we can crash at a friend's house who will be out of town that week. Not sure where that house is. We're also looking at a bunch of Airbnb places near campus.

It depends. If you're all single and want to do fun nightlife stuff then I'd recommend finding an airbnb in Old Town Scottsdale and taking Uber to the game and back. It's not that far from Tempe (relatively speaking) and if you want to get hammered then that'd be the way to go. There's a lot of really fun stuff to do in the valley but it really depends on what you're into. Tons of great golf too and prices will be lower because still essentially summertime. If you're interested in golf then I can ask some of my buddies about that. But it'll be hot as fuck during the day so be prepared. Gotta drink a shit ton of water otherwise you're fucked. Midwesterners are the ones who always seem to die from heat related illnesses out there.

Yeah, I've golfed out in the desert around Vegas in August. Not going to be doing that again. If we do what we usually do for road trips we'll hit up a decent restaurant one night, then do a bit of bar hopping, grab a cab back to wherever we're staying, rinse/repeat. Then tailgate our asses off on gameday. How is the alumni association out there?

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

gHost Spartan wrote:

It depends. If you're all single and want to do fun nightlife stuff then I'd recommend finding an airbnb in Old Town Scottsdale and taking Uber to the game and back. It's not that far from Tempe (relatively speaking) and if you want to get hammered then that'd be the way to go. There's a lot of really fun stuff to do in the valley but it really depends on what you're into. Tons of great golf too and prices will be lower because still essentially summertime. If you're interested in golf then I can ask some of my buddies about that. But it'll be hot as fuck during the day so be prepared. Gotta drink a shit ton of water otherwise you're fucked. Midwesterners are the ones who always seem to die from heat related illnesses out there.

Yeah, I've golfed out in the desert around Vegas in August. Not going to be doing that again. If we do what we usually do for road trips we'll hit up a decent restaurant one night, then do a bit of bar hopping, grab a cab back to wherever we're staying, rinse/repeat. Then tailgate our asses off on gameday. How is the alumni association out there?

So you're like a modern day Rat Pack. Are you Joey or Dean?

LooseGoose wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Yeah, I've golfed out in the desert around Vegas in August. Not going to be doing that again. If we do what we usually do for road trips we'll hit up a decent restaurant one night, then do a bit of bar hopping, grab a cab back to wherever we're staying, rinse/repeat. Then tailgate our asses off on gameday. How is the alumni association out there?

So you're like a modern day Rat Pack. Are you Joey or Dean?

I have no idea what Joey Bishop was like, but Dean Martin was fucking cool. I'll be him.

gHost, have you ever bitten the head off a live scorpion?

There, satisfied, Pylon?




Weenie.

tGreenWay wrote:gHost, have you ever bitten the head off a live scorpio?

You mean like a dude born in October or November?

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:gHost, have you ever bitten the head off a live scorpio?

You mean like a dude born in October or November?

Yes.

gHost Spartan wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Yeah, I've golfed out in the desert around Vegas in August. Not going to be doing that again. If we do what we usually do for road trips we'll hit up a decent restaurant one night, then do a bit of bar hopping, grab a cab back to wherever we're staying, rinse/repeat. Then tailgate our asses off on gameday. How is the alumni association out there?

There's a huge number of alums out there and it's organized by a guy named Kevin - I can put you in contact with him if you want to know what they're doing. I"ll actually be out there too

There are a ton of great restaurants there. Tell me what type of you food you want and I can make some recomendations .

Most of us are willing to try anything. Whatever is pretty good without having to get formal about what we have to wear.